Brereton Surgery Newsletter October 2024

As the colder months set in, it’s important to take extra steps to stay well and keep illness at bay. Ensure you're getting enough rest, eating a balanced diet rich in immune boosting nutrients, and staying active, even indoors. Keep your home warm and ventilated, and stay hydrated. Don’t forget regular handwashing and using tissues to reduce the spread of germs. If you're eligible, make sure you get your winter vaccines for added protection.

We are delighted to welcome back Sam, a valued member of our reception team, who has recently returned following her maternity leave. We’ve missed her friendly face and helpful presence, and we’re thrilled to have her back with us. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

With winter approaching, it’s more important than ever to protect yourself and your loved ones from seasonal illnesses. Influenze (Flu), COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) can pose serious health risks, especially for vulnerable groups.

The following individuals are eligible for winter vaccines:

• People aged 65 years and over
• Children aged 2 and 3 years
• Pregnant women
• People with long term medical conditions
• Care home residents Carers
• People living with those who are immunocompromised
• Frontline health and social care workers
• RSV: People aged 75 to 79 years and pregnant woman from 28 week gestation.

The pertussis vaccine given to pregnant woman can help protect young babies from whooping cough from birth (Whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy). NHS Flu vaccines are especially crucial for children, while the COVID-19 booster helps maintain immunity and protects high risk groups. If you're eligible, please contact the practice to book your appointment and stay protected this winter.

Getting vaccinated helps safeguard not only your health but also your community’s health too!

Between July 2024 and September 2024, our amazing team delivered the following results:

7,342 calls answered by reception staff

8,052 appointments booked:

• 90% (7,235) face to face
• 10% (817) telephone
• 9,482 medications issued
• 512 hospital referrals made
• 336 online consultations (eConsult) forms actioned

We have seen an increase in missed appointments (we call these DNAs which stands for Did Not Attend) over the last quarter, leading to an average of 18.31 hours of wasted appointment time per month.

This includes:

• 4.19 hrs, GP
• 0.6 hours, Paramedic
• 3.5 hours, Mental Health Practitioners
• 6.61 hours, Nursing Team
• 0.66 hours, First Contact Physiotherapists
• 0.33 hours, Physician Associate
• 2.42 hours, Advanced Nurse Practitioners

Missed appointments prevent others from getting the care they need. By cancelling your appointments if they are not needed, you are helping us to save time and resources, and it also helps to reduce waiting times for appointments.

To help reduce DNAs, we encourage you to use our Check and Cancel Service, which allows you to easily review and cancel your appointments if you can no longer attend. During the last quarter, 272 appointments were checked and 88 were cancelled using this service.

Please help us make the most of our time and resources, if you can’t make it, check and cancel your appointment!